by Nic Bragg | From Kitsilano’s Zulu Records, we once again present our weekly Scout feature, the Zulu Report. Within, we provide The Track – the song that is on heavy rotation in the shop this week; The Playlist – which is pretty self-explanatory; The Gig – the must see show of the week; and The Glance – which details the best live acts that are on the immediate horizon. From our ears to yours, enjoy…

THE TRACK

DEATH GRIPS Hustle Bones

For the last couple of weeks we have been selling tons of copies of the new Death Grips release and for a short window it looked like they had a tour date planned for Vancouver. This Sacramento crew has in a short time dropped a serious bomb on the music scene as people are drawn to the chaotic f**k shit up aesthetic of everything that they do. Indie rock, hip hop, electronics (whatever genre) has needed a shake up for a while and Death Grips have that reckless energy that makes music culture exciting, dangerous, and ultimately interesting. Yes, we are bummed that they cancelled their whole West Coast tour, but at least we can groove to the tunes, and the steady (weekly) stream of new lo-fi videos! And if you have ever wondered what drugs in a dryer looks like, then this footage is for you. Part hip-hop, part mix tape cut ups, part visceral noise, part old school Public Enemy attitude, complete annihilation… Now that Death Grips have everyone’s attention, what are they going to do with it?

BEAR IN HEAVEN Sinful Nature

Combining the best elements of electronic and rock, Bear in Heaven have created a blast of super loud groove music that should appeal to your sinful nature.

SIGUR ROS Ekki Mukk

Enjoy the lead off single from their absolutely gorgeous new release Valtari!! Finally a rock band that channels my deep deep love for Arvo Part and Phillip Glass. New music is elegant, pensive and meditative…in the hands of Sigur Ros, you can add immaculate to that description!

STEVIE JACKSON Feel The Morning

I would be lying to you if I told you that I stumbled across this video on a site devoted to Volvo V70 family wagons. Don’t believe everything you read… that said, I did meet Belle and Sebastian’s Stevie Jackson in front of the Cambie last year when he was in town mixing the album version of this track – recorded by the geniuses at JC/DC! Now, give us more Volvo shots.

BEST COAST The Only Place

Ladies and Gentlemen here they are once again! Making a sophomore album as good your first is always a hard thing to do, so L.A.’s Best Coast rip into the new material with post-grunge vigor.

FATHER JOHN MISTY This is Sally Hatchet

I know what you’re thinking – didn’t we just get some Father John Misty last week? Yes. Sub Pop and Tillman are really going out guns a-blazing on this release, and this video for one of the more serene numbers on the album definitely points towards music trending towards short films. Imagine what Tarantino would think of this?

RICHARD HAWLEY You Haunt Me

I imagine that many artists have wanted to make a simple video like this. Nothing fancy, just a record spinning around playing the song. I think the Replacements first did this, refocusing the listener’s attention back on the song. Hawley haunts us with a dark chilled out atmospheric number.

HOSPITALITY Tiny Desk Concert

Merge Records’ Hospitality takes their pop sound into the studios of NPR for a more intimate and stripped down version of the events.

THE GIG

Sat May 26 SPIRITUALIZED – RICKSHAW THEATRE

This date at the Rickshaw has been circled on the calendar for a couple months. Ex-Spacemen 3, Jason Pierce and his massive symphonic spacerock band Spirtualized don’t make it to North American shores very often, and based on his live spectacle of over 30 years as a pioneer creating loud psychedelic bliss rock, this gig is not one to miss out on! On the road in support of 2012’s dreamy Sweet Heart Sweet Light and in our neck of the woods thanks to a headlining slot at Sasquatch, Pierce and company turn experiencing loud rock music into a near-religious experience as they dial in a gospel vibe to their new material. The new record is on par with their classic 1997 Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space and employs much of the same elements – brass, strings, choirs and grandiose arrangements – to create a sound that is huge, wet and dizzying. Live, they have become masters of dynamics, and like their few sonic peers My Bloody Valentine, they manage to find more space in the sonic spectrum to cramp their fuzzed out melodies into. Honestly, get your ticket now as you don’t want to deal with the scalpers outside. Tune in and drop out. Spirtualized are living legends.

The Glance

Tue May 22 JULIA HOLTER – Media Club
Wed May 23 NEXT MUSIC FROM TOKYO – WALDORF
Wed May 23 BEST COAST – BILTMORE –
Wed May 23 SAVOY – CELEBRITIES
Thu May 24 COLIN BULLOCK – ST JAMES
Thu May 24 MADEON – CAPRICE
Fri May 25 + Sat May 26 TRUE SPOKES – Media Club
Fri May 25 THE FUGITIVES & DAN BERN – WALDORF
Fri May 25 ACTIVE CHILD & TYCHO – ELECTRIC OWL
Fri May 25 WOLFGANG GARTNER – CELEBRITIES
Fri May 25 BON IVER – DEER LAKE PARK –
Sat May 26 CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH – VENUE
Sat May 26 OPIUO – RED ROOM
Sat May 26 ZEUS – BILTMORE
Sat May 26 TRAMPLED BY TURTLES – VOGUE
Sat May 26 SPIRITUALIZED – RICKSHAW
Sat May 26 TRASH TALK – WALDORF
Sun May 27 JOHN REILLY – RIO
Sun May 27 COEUR DE PIRATE – VENUE
Mon May 28 XIU XIU – BILTMORE
Tue May 29 MOGWAI – COMMODORE
Tue May 29 GARY CLARK Jr. – VENUE
Tue May 29 CASS MCCOMBS – BILTMORE
Tue May 29 GARDENS & VILLA – WALDORF
Wed May 30 THERESA ANDERSSON – MEDIA
Wed May 30 12TH PLANET – CELEBRITIES
Wed May 30 DEER TICK – COMMODORE
Thu May 31 OMAR SOULEYMAN – BILTMORE
Thu May 31 CRYSTAL FIGHTERS – FORTUNE
Thu May 31 REPURCUSSION – SURREY ARTS CENTRE
Thu May 31 BOK BOK – WALDORF

JUNE

Fri Jun 01 DILLON FRANCIS – CELEBRITIES
Fri Jun 01 DANGER – BILTMORE
Fri Jun 01 ART DEPARTMENT – WALDORF
Sat Jun 02 BRASSTRONAUT – RIO
Sat Jun 02 DIESELBOY – RED ROOM
Sat Jun 02 SHACKLETON – WALDORF

Death Grips cover image via Mixtape Muse